This Makes No Sense
Why would Columbia University refuse to cooperate with police and hand over surveillance tapes that could shed light on who hung a noose on a professor's office door? The police department spokesman says that the college administrators have been stonewalling police requests since Wednesday. They intend to get a court order.
NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University has refused to turn over security videotape that could help identify who hung a noose on a black professor's office door, police said Thursday.
Investigators began asking on Wednesday for tapes from cameras in the building, but have been rebuffed by administrators, said Paul Browne, the New York Police Department's top spokesman.
He said police will have to get a court order to force the school to provide video they believe could crack the case.
"It's unfortunate because it adds a time-consuming step to the investigation," Browne said.
A Columbia spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment.
Authorities were testing the 4-foot-long twine noose for DNA evidence, but had no suspects as of Thursday morning.
On Wednesday, the professor who was the target of the attack, Madonna Constantine, told hundreds of faculty and students at a rally on the Ivy League campus that the incident was a "blatant act of racism" that "reeks of cowardice and fear."
"I'm upset that our community has been exposed to such an unbelievably vile incident," she said.
Then encourage your University to hand over the tapes so police can track down whoever did this. It is very hard not to suspect that something is going on here that the administration would prefer to bury.
UPDATE: Columbia is cooperating with a court order now and turning over all tapes. They deny they refused to turn over the tapes - only that they required a court order to do so to comply with privacy laws.
By feeblemind, Thursday, 11 October , 2007 @ 2:37 pm
There is always the possibility that the good professor hung the noose on the door herself. It would explain why they wouldn’t want to turn over the tape.
By quilly mammoth, Thursday, 11 October , 2007 @ 3:25 pm
I don’t think the prof did it. I think that it will turn out to be a member of one of Columbia’s “progressive” student groups.
By Anthony (Los Angeles), Thursday, 11 October , 2007 @ 3:34 pm
I think Feeblemind has a point. There was an incident a few years ago at one of our local universities here in LA (I think it was Occidental), in which a faculty member faked vandalism on her car and filed false police reports. It wouldn’t surprise me if the same thing has happened at Columbia.
By Gaius, Thursday, 11 October , 2007 @ 3:39 pm
It certainly appears that Columbia is trying to avoid something. Whatever it is, it will likely be embarrassing.
By steve, Thursday, 11 October , 2007 @ 5:11 pm
Columbia never stonewalled the investigation. Subpoenas are required because of privacy laws, but investigators were allowed to see the tapes from hour 1. The story is BS.
By Gaius, Thursday, 11 October , 2007 @ 6:10 pm
Gateway Pundit updated with that information. I’ve updated as well.
By Mwalimu Daudi, Thursday, 11 October , 2007 @ 6:41 pm
It appears Columbia turned over the tapes without the subpoena.
It also appears that the police did not see the tapes before they were suddenly handed over.